What is Tantra? John Powers defines tantra (rgyud) as “systems of practice and meditation derived from esoteric texts emphasizing cognitive transformation through visualization, symbols and ritual” (Powers 249). Tantric texts began to appear in the late 6th and 7th century in India and continued to proliferate through the 12th century, when many sites of religious …
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The Three Mental Poisons
Introduction In Buddhist teachings, the three mental poisons—also referred to as the three fires or three unwholesome roots— make reference to ignorance, greed, and aversion; the poisonous states of mind that create, sustain, and perpetuate non-virtuous and unskillful thoughts and actions. The three mental poisons demonstrate how dangerous and destructive thoughts and feelings can be …
The Twelve Acts
In many Buddhist traditions, there are infinite buddhas in a world system characterized by cyclic time. Across infinite parallel variations, every universe is created, thrives, and dies, to be then be born again. Despite the plethora of buddhas, each singular universe only ever has one buddha born into it. Our current universe already received its …
Six Realms of Transmigration
The Six Realms of Transmigration can be defined as the essence of Buddhist philosophy in regards to reincarnation and the cycle of life. The Wheel of Life, or Bhavachakra, depicts and explains the cyclical nature of reincarnation, along with the multiple aspects of our perceived reality as normal beings. The six realms also show the …
The 32 Marks of a Buddha
Overview: In the Buddha’s teachings, the external or physical are always subordinate to the internal or psychological. Still, despite its emphasis on the development of the mind and enlightenment of the spirit, Buddhism does not completely ignore the human body. Indeed, there are a series of excellent or auspicious marks that are expected to be …
